NC - So now you guys are a new band to the Rise Records roster how long have you been a band and what music has been out prior?
Garret – We’ve been a band for about 6 years now, we’ve been The Color Morale for just under 2, and we changed our name and got a couple different band members.
NC – So what would you guys classify yourselves as genre wise, because people don’t compare you to scene bands and such?
Garret - Oh that Question, our Band draws so much reference and diversity from a lot of things, we try to classify ourselves as Color Morale, we don’t want to sound like anyone else, we want to sound like us, We draw reference from a lot of Post-Hardcore, our 3 biggest influences of Misery Signals, Life In Your Way and Beloved, but yeah I mean Steve’s favorite band is Blink 182, Mines Jimmy Eat World, Justin’s in black Dalia Murder, take all of that out in a blender and that’s Color Morale I guess ha.
NC - That works, you guys just recently released a record on Rise Records. What’s the name of the record, what’s some of the songs about, and what went into making the record?
Garret – It’s called We All Have Demons, umm it’s pretty much kind of like a concept album, it entails that just about confronting life, and writing all the songs about real life situations I’ve gone through, every song just kind of touches thought on a different thought or feeling, I kind of just wanted to be totally honest with every lyric on the CD, because if you’re having to be totally honest with your lyrics then you got to get on stage and try and sell what your yelling about every night. You’re playing something honest from your heart, meaning something affected you in some way, but hopefully you can put that out there and help others. And that’s kind of the mission and point of our band, not only to play music from our heart, but as a way for people to reach out and hopefully be helped form what we’re doing.
NC – How did the color morale get started?
Garret – We were a band, Me, Steve, John, and Ramone, and we actually picked up Justin and started with a new name and a clean slate, we all knew what we wanted to do as far as making music for a career and playing full time, and spreading our message, and we kind of did all the necessary steps, one thing led to another and we ended up on rise records.
NC - how do you guys like being on Rise Records, What do they have in store for you guys this year.
Garret – We love Rise, we love being on Rise, It’s kind of cool because Rise is one guy, one owner, so you can call him at 2 in the morning if you have a problem or a question, but you try not to because he is a married guy with kids, but you know it’s just awesome they treat us really well, there always there for us when we have questions or new ideas, it’s just awesome.
NC - what’s your favorite part about The Color Morale?
Garret – My favorite part is touring, and just meeting all these people every night, you hear some of the craziest things in the facebook message or MySpace message, face to face conversation just something about your music or personality or lyrics has done something to affect someone or help someone, it’s the moist rewarding thing I’ve ever been given in my life, just to put something out there honest that happened in real life affects someone in such a positive away, it’s incredible.
NC – now you guys are on tour with The Chariot on the Tours and Rumors of Tours Tour. What else do you guys have planned for the year tour wise?
Garret – Right after this tour, were going to be doing regional dates and some writing, and then in may/June were going to be out on the Rise Records Tour with The Bled, In Fear & Faith, and Of Mice & Men. After that we are going on a tour this summer that I can’t announce yet. But we’re going to be very excited to announce the tour.
NC – Are you guys doing any summer music festivals at all?
Garret- We opted out of Warped Tour, just being that were newer band, we had another opportunity come up, and warped tour, well this tour right now is only our second as a band. And I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about Warped Tour so just decided to go with this other plan of action we have.
NC – Now how’s the crowd and all the fans been receiving the new record, members, and everything with The Color Morale?
Garret – It’s been great, I mean especially we played quite a few of these venues on the Attack Attack tour, seeing so many faces, and watching kinds sing a long, and wearing shirts the reaction has been great, meeting all the kids we met on the first tour, and actually forming personal relationships, and getting food or going and crashing with people. It’s been really great and rewarding.
NC – Now being that you guys are a newer band you probably don’t have many of them but what’s been the biggest horror story while touring?
Garret – Oh god, the attack tour was our first tour ever, it was a lot of learning, and a lot of opportunities for growth, we had our van break down 5 times, we ended up having to drive all the way home and get a new van, missing a week of the tour and the stupid Ford van cost us thousands of dollars that miserable. Bands if you’re driving a Ford van get rid of it and get a Chevy. This van has given us no problems yet, knock on wood.
NC - Now some people argue that you guys were given the Rise Records spot when you guys were undeserving of it, what’s your advice on how a new band can get signed and make it?
Garret – Music is so over saturated now, there’s so many bands, and there’s kids playing for fun, and kids trying really hard to make a career out of it, and my biggest advice would be never let anyone tell you what no, you can’t. There’s things that are do’s and don’ts in the music industry, it’s sad but true you got to have a niches that makes you stand out in such a oversaturated place. If we had listened to ex girlfriends or family members or friends, or I’ve had someone along the way telling me no you’re not going to do this your whole life, I’ve had people supporting me from the beginning, however if you believe you really can do something and want to with all your heart, than do it, no one can hold you back from doing that. Talk to bands on tour, meet bands, find out how they made it ask questions, but keep modest in your walk, there’s too many rock stars out there, we don’t need any more of those. So just stay modest, and realize that you’re no more important than the band next to you, your all just dudes playing tunes.
NC – Seeing that you guys are such a different band, and seeing that you guys don’t play scene music, and a scene label, how’s that been stereotyped for what you guys are going to write and tours you’re going to be on?
Garret – I mean it’s, on one hand we aim to write music that pleases us, on the other hand you got to write music that’s going to please our audience, you got to find the niche between integrity and what’s going to bring kids out to see you. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen one of the most amazing bands in my entire life play a set to 8 kids, because they don’t have crazy haircuts or 900 merch designs. The list goes on, just writing music that we enjoy is the more priority, I don’t know it goes hand and hand or it can either way to, we aren’t going to write music we don’t like.
NC – Now you mentioned that you guys are already starting on writing a new record, were you happy with the previous release? And was there room for improvement?
Garret – Tons of room for improvement I think no matter what there will always be room for improvement. If you’re a in a mindset that something you made is perfect then you’re at the point as a musician where you stop growing, if you’re always striving to learn more and try new ideas and experiment with things then you’ll always be growing, so to keep that mindset is that no one is perfect and you’ll always want to grow and learn, that kind of what were aiming to do with this next album, keep it Color Morale, but also try new things see what does and doesn’t work, were hoping this has a career ahead of it and a lot of albums.
NC – What are you guys finding out is the hardest thing about being a touring band?
Garret – Probably, our band is a really tight band, we hold each other accountable we keep things very positive, and try to have a lot of fun, it makes you really sad when you see bands on tour that don’t talk and this has kind of turned into their job, the priority is talking to kids and meeting them and showing them what were about, the biggest obstacle is finances probably, crossing the country is very expensive thing to do, but if you keep your chin up and keep your focus positive, you’ll get through anything together, so you’ll do fine.
NC – According to some members on Absolutepunk.net had one of the best albums of the year. What are you shooting for with the new record?
Garret – Really they said that? That’s awesome. I think its funny because we got in a pigeon hold right off the back being a on a label like rise, there’s going to be things you need to do, and things you want to do, and you got to find the niche between both, and write a record that pleases us, I think we’ll be fine, While We All Have Demons To Us was maybe a 6/7 out of 10, what were capable of doing is a lot better of an album, we’ve started writing bits and pieces on tour, I want to dig deeper lyrically on the new album. I want to be more honest and try bringing all the visions I’ve had into reality so all the people can learn and grow from them, I think we have a lot of work ahead of us but a lot of opportunity as well.
NC – Are you guys a Christian band?
Garret – We are.
NC – How is that becoming an issue on the road when you guys are touring with more secular bands as opposed to the Christian market with the stereotype if you’re a Christian band touring with secular bands you’re not really a Christian band?
Garret – I Don’t think that’s an issue at all, at the end of the day we all have our own beliefs, we don’t force ours on anyone, and people either respect us for what we do or they don’t, and people that don’t all were called to do is love them, people are going to try and cut you down for your beliefs, but you know we don’t let that get to us, we just do what we do.
NC – Now sickness has struck you every time you’ve been to North Carolina. What are your plans for the 3rd?
Garret- Well the first time was our first tour ever, so for me the problem I had was I actually on tour sweating profusely where I could ring my jeans out, and not drinking water at all, or taking care of my vocals, and that eventually caught up to me to the point I woke up one day and it caught up to me to where I couldn’t speak, I freaked out and flew home, I was just so dehydrated, couple days rest and gallon of water a day. That’s actually my biggest advice for vocalist, gallon of water a day, and 8-10 hours of sleep, leave all the teas, honeys, and cough drops at home, unless you’re sick or something, keep your body hydrated and it’ll heal itself. I haven’t had any problems this tour so I’m stoked for the next one.
NC – Now what are you guys doing to change up the set and such for the next tour?
Garret – I think this next tour we actually want to have a song finished just to take ideas out on the road, and see how kids take them, before we record an album we’ve had songs get a lot of good response especially songs like Humannequin which we just shot a music video for. We really just want a song to take out and see how kids take it.
NC – What is your favorite song off of We Have All Demons.?
Garret- Mine personally, I’ve got like different favorite things, I’ve got song where my lyrics are my favorite, where to play it live is my favorite, or a song that’s the single, but probably When One Was Desolate because that was the hardest song to write.
NC – What’s been the craziest part of this tour?
Garret - The Chariot just watching them be crazy every night and go nuts. There the coolest dudes ever, and everyone on this tour is cool.
NC - thanks for your time Garret, anyone you’d like to thank or reach out to.
Garret – Yeah all these people who come out to see us on tour, you know who are thank you making this awesome, Everyone at Rise, Craig Matthew, Ben Jorgenson, Chris at Kill Brand to thank you so much.
NC – Any last words?
Garret – In the great words of Sean Connery, How Many Dragons Do You know?
Thanks for reading guys, huge thanks goes out to Mike at Earshot Media, and Ben Jorgenson for setting up this interview, Garret and the rest of the color morale boys for being fucking awesome. And you for checking this out.
Codie.
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